


Christmas Eve

by TundrainAfrica



Category: Fruits Basket (Anime 2019)
Genre: A very small dash of angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Christmas, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:08:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28283742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TundrainAfrica/pseuds/TundrainAfrica
Summary: Toru goes out at midnight in the dead of winter to experience her first white Christmas and Kyo gets a little worried.Part one of my present to @hizashi-yamadas for the Animanga Secret Santa 2020
Relationships: Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28
Collections: Animanga Secret Santa 2020 Gift for Hizashi Yamadas





	Christmas Eve

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AraHinam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AraHinam/gifts).



> Merry Christmas Elisha!

"You didn't have to stay in, you know."

Toru jumped, once again becoming aware of her surroundings. She had to look back at the clock by the mantle to see how long she had been staring out the window.

"No, I'm happy to stay in!" Toru hoped that saying it out loud would be enough to quell that knot of disappointment in her stomach which only tightened as she looked back at Kyo who was curled up under the kotatsu. 

She looked down at Kyo right next to her who was looking more like a cat as he was curled up into a ball under two blankets of the kotatsu. Toru only had to hover her hand lightly over his forehead to feel warmth radiating from it. What alarmed Toru more though was how indifferent he was to her touch. 

"Maybe we should see a doctor."

"It's just… really cold…" Kyo answered in between shivers. 

_ Of course it's cold.  _ They were in the northernmost region of Japan in the middle of winter. 

It was Momiji who had suggested they spend Christmas in Hokkaido. He first gushed about it one lunch time in late fall and how he hadn't seen one since the last time he'd been to Germany for winter almost a decade ago. When the young blond pitched the plan when he visited their house a week after, Shigure was quick to approve. 

Christmases in Tokyo are cold. The trees are bare. The sky is almost always dark, the atmosphere grim. The only things which made the scenery any better were the giant Christmas trees in malls and the Christmas lights that lined the streets. 

Tokyo was too near the ocean though to get any snow so early in winter. Having spent every single Christmas in Tokyo, Toru had never experienced a white Christmas in her life. Snow usually came in January or February in Tokyo if they ever got any. They rarely piled up enough though to classify as a white landscape, similar to those she had seen in the figurines at Christmas shops. 

Hokkaido was different. The snow piled up by the foot. They were like added decoration, complementing the Christmas lights which shine much brighter against the pure white landscape. 

While she kept Kyo company, she entertained herself by watching the colors dance on the roofs, shining for a split second longer than what her eyes had gotten used to watching the Christmas lights on the streets of Tokyo as a child.

_ Yellow. Green. Red. Blue.  _

It alternated between the four colors. By the third time, she should have known what to expect. The contrast of the bright lights against the white landscape and the dark night, had only made the colors stand out more. The flashes were brighter and at times, Toru could pick out the small moments where the flashes of red would mix with those of green that had yet to fade. 

"I'm sorry for doing something stupid like that, getting sick…" Kyo held the blanket tighter over his mouth. “And now you’re stuck here with me. 

Toru noticed a slight blush and wondered if it was from embarrassment at losing to Yuki or the fever that followed being buried in the snow after their fight. 

"No! I don't have to be outside every Christmas. Besides it's warm here and if we watch some Christmas specials, we could still get into the atmosphere of Christmas." Toru turned on the television. 

“We are now at Odori Park for the Christmas market!” 

_ That’s where Yuki and the others went. _ Toru thought to herself. She entertained herself by turning her watching TV into a game, challenging herself to maybe find Yuki, Momiji, Shigure or Hatori among the crowd.  _ Do I get bonus points if I find them?  _ Toru thought to herself playfully. 

“Looks like a lot of people visiting are couples! Christmas is a time for couples to spread the love after all!” The host walked deeper into the crowd. “Excuse me, may I ask a few questions?” 

“Sure!” A girl who looked to be college age answered. Next to her, was a slightly taller, college aged boy. 

“Are you locals?”

The girl shook her head. “No, we’re from Chiba.” 

“Wow that’s cool! What brings you to Hokkaido?”

The girl looked at the boy next to her and blushed. “It was a surprise actually.” 

“It’s our five year anniversary.” The boy chimed in. “And Yuka has never experienced a white christmas.” 

“How’s your first white Christmas then?” The reporter turned to Yuka. 

“It’s a dream come true.” 

The girl’s cheeks turned a little redder, maybe from the biting cold or the questions. As her eyes glimmered when she spoke, Toru guessed it was the latter. 

_ It’s a dream come true.  _ The wonder in her eyes and the words that followed only reminded Toru of herself and another dream she had had decades ago. 

* * *

Along Hibiya park, there was an old man who sold figurine parts of a Christmas town, all displayed on a table for everyone to see. Every year since before she could even comprehend the commute to the center of Tokyo, Toru had always rushed to that small shop on the corner of the market with a frazzled Kyoko trailing behind. 

At the start of the morning, it was saturated — or rather to Toru, it was complete. A complete replica of the bustling Christmas market in her daydreams and the fairy tales her mother told her about. 

The frozen lake with people gliding on top, the children engaging in snowball fights with snow forts twice their size and to the right of it a miniature version of the Christmas market, a more rustic version at least and a snowier version. 

It was only a few years after she started to visit the small shop did she start to go back multiple times a day. First, the shoe shop disappeared, then the bakery then the rink. For a six year old, it was oddly depressing to see the town dwindle into just a few figurines of people walking through. Toru would find herself crying on the way home that night. 

_ Frosty the snowman is gone! _

_ There are no more children playing in the sleds.  _

_ How will Santa give the gifts! _

It must have been just unintelligible babble to her mother then. On their way home though from the market, as they stepped out of the train and out into the dark streets of their small suburban neighborhood, her mother hugged her tight. 

_ Frosty is fine.  _

_ Santa is fine.  _

_ Children will still be playing on the sled next year. _

Somehow, the conversation had evolved into a little planning. “Let’s go see a Christmas Market like that together Toru! With the frozen like and the snow forts and the sleds.” 

They would go through pictures and videos of the towns in Finland, Germany, France, and even in nearby Hokkaido. 

“I’ll make sure to save some funds. Maybe we can try for Hokkaido next year?” 

Next year never came. There was always something more important than a winter vacation to spend on — electricity, textbooks, hospital bills, house repairs. As Toru grew older she had to forget that dream herself as the reality dawned on her that a single mother and high school dropout was in no position to ever dream of a profound of an experience as travel. 

That same dream Toru had forgotten so many years ago made itself known again, manifesting as an ache in her chest and a small tear as she looked out the window the eve of December 24th. 

_ I’ve never had a White Christmas myself.  _ Her mother had mentioned then, as they looked through albums of winter landscapes and Christmas Markets. 

_ Even for just a second. I have to do it.  _ When would she be able to do it again? Life had disappointed her multiple times already. At that moment, it was right in front of her already and Toru was determined to make it come true then.

“Kyo, I’m going to go out for a while if that’s okay?” She went for her coat. “I just need to see something for my mother.” 

“Your mother?” Kyo shifted his gaze from the television to her. 

“I wanna experience a White Christmas for her.” 

“Hey, I’ll come with you.” Kyo offered as he pushed himself out of his comfortable position under the kotatsu. 

“You don’t have a coat though,” Toru said looking pointedly at the coat that was still hanging next to the heater to dry. Kyo had soiled his only coat, having been buried in the snow after his fight with Toru. 

“Yeah...” Kyo grimaced 

Toru took a peek at her phone while she readied her boots

_ 11:00 _

“I’ll be back in an hour.” She assured Kyo.  _ Just one white christmas.  _ The next few words were for herself.

Momiji had picked a strategic place to rent a house in Sapporo. The Christmas Market was only a ten minute walk away. 

_ Koibito Park. Lover’s Park.  _ Toru had made sure to google the place before going there. It had a bustling market, not as busy as Odori but enough for Toru to be able to appreciate the festive mood.

As she took in the snow lined roofs, the Christmas lights and the crowds of people bundled up in their own coats, Toru was starting to feel like one of the figurines walking through the Christmas Market in that winter wonderland she’d play with as a kid. Just like what she had imagined, there was a skating rink to the side, a bakery stall, a cart selling chestnuts and a small German stall selling sausages and spiced wine. 

Toru did not need to buy anything, completely satisfied already by the variety of scents —  a mixture of cinnamon, apples and bread — wafting through the air. She had closed her eyes for a second as she focused all her senses on that small yet comforting sign that Christmas was nearing. 

People were starting to talk about it too. As Toru made her way through the crowds she could hear conversations of Christmas wishes.

_ What’s your Christmas wish? _

_ Kiss me under the mistletoe?  _ A joke referencing a familiar song Kyoko had sung to her before.

_ I love you.  _

Somehow that was what made Toru freeze on the spot. Koibito Park, Lovers Park. Toru found herself looking at the crowd around her. 

_ I’m used to this. I’ve spent new years alone already. This shouldn’t be a big thing.  _ It could have been from instinct but Toru ended up navigating more quickly out of the crowds and into a less saturated part of the market. And to the corner was a little market with a few tiny figurines, all arranged in a little Christmas market. 

The six year old in Toru was crying again.

It had been more than a decade since then but Toru found herself walking away farther and farther and into the almost empty back entrance of the market. She quickly wiped away the tears that she had formed and mustered up the biggest smile. 

_ Why am I crying? The atmosphere around the Christmas town is not something you see everyday! You have to enjoy it!  _ Toru scolded herself. As she peeked back around the corner and back at the park, she could not help but put a hand over her stomach, placating the knot that had built up there. Most of the couples were still walking around, some families were carrying sleeping children on their backs --- a sign that it was pretty late already. 

She had spent the past few Christmases in the Soma household over home cooked dinners she had prepared. Years before that, she had spent it with her mother over take out from the nearest fast food chain and Christmas specials. 

That was the first time she was counting down alone. She had her white Christmas and she was alone. 

From Toru's position behind the park, she could still see some of the Christmas decorations bright across the white landscape. The houses that lined the street had roofs decorated with actual snow. 

Just like in the Christmas market figurines she and her mother would admire. Just like in the fairytales her mother would share. Just like in the pictures she and her would look through. 

"Merry Christmas mom," Toru whispered to herself. Admiring the view at least, she remembered why she had decided to make that journey in the first place. "It's a White Christmas."

Toru found herself smiling like she always did, overcompensating for that little something that was missing. Like how the Christmas market wouldn't have even the Christmas market without the people, the view in front of her was not a view without someone to share it with. 

Toru looked back at her phone. Ten minutes until midnight.  _ So it wasn't even Christmas yet. _ Toru made sure to circle around the outskirts of the Christmas market on the way back. She had told herself it was so she wouldn't have a bother to anyone. Deep inside her though, she knew that walking through there would probably make her feel lonelier than she would have been walking along an almost empty street. 

The path less taken turned out to be the better choice. 

As she made a turn towards the entrance of the park, she made eye contact with those orange eyes she had come to know so well. 

"Kyo!"

Kyo was bundled up in a scarf, a beanie and a buttoned down coat that Toru was sure he did not own. 

"Merry christmas." 

Kyo's scarf was covering much of his lower face. Toru could see though with the way his cheeks rose, the pink in them becoming a little more distinct that he could possibly be smiling. 

Either way, she was committed to return his smile with one ten times wider. "Merry Christmas. 

As if by magic, the melancholic atmosphere of a while ago dissipated. Toru was finally able to realize the festive mood she had been willing herself to enjoy the past hour. 

"Let's go through the market?"

"You're sick though?" Toru put her hand to his forehead. 

"It's a cold. I've had worse." Kyo took her hand from its place on his forehead and pulled her into the park. "Besides, it's not everyday you get a white Christmas."

Somehow, the Christmas market started to have a little more color. The lights were a little brighter and being guided through the crowds of people was more exciting than perplexing. 

"You want anything to eat?" Kyo asked as soon as they had arrived towards the end of the main path.

Toru's mind was elsewhere. The corner with the stall which sold christmas figurines was almost empty. A few stalls, a few stores and the only human figurines left were a couple on a bench. 

Oddly enough, Toru was not fighting back tears. She wasn't lonely. She wasn't empathizing with figurines in an empty Christmas village. 

_ They aren't alone.  _

"Last one left." The stall owner said. 

It was only then did Toru realize she had brought her hand out to touch the figurine. As she looked closer she realized that the boy and the girl were one figurine, molded together and onto the bench below it. "This is so cute!" Toru chimed excitedly, as she ran her hand through the simple yet well placed patterns that made up the lovers on the bench. 

"Good thing I prepared a lot of these. It's popular with couples. Christmas is your favorite time after all."

"Our favorite time?" Toru repeated.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Kyo answered the question.

The stall owner grinned. "I hope you're able to have a fun one then. Christmas is a day for lovers."

It had dawned on Toru then, the implications of his statement. She could feel the blood rush to her face, she looked away, completely torn between hiding the truth, consequently lying and correcting him, risking embarrassing him in the process. 

"Hey let's go." 

Toru realized then that she had spent more than a few minutes pondering that thought a few feet away from the stall. 

Kyo guided her back out of the park and as she looked back, she could see the stall owner grinning and waving goodbye. 

"Merry Christmas." Kyo pressed the handle of a Christmas bag on her open hand as they made their way out of the park. 

Toru peeked inside to see the last remaining Christmas figurine from the stall inside. "This is for me?"

"Who else?" 

“You didn’t have to… Really…” Toru tapped at her coat pockets, trying to remember where she had placed her wallet. She started to scramble after a while, her movements a little more chaotic. She dug towards one of the jacket pockets only for it to fall out as she pulled out her hand. 

Kyo bent down to get it even before she could move from her spot. “You didn’t have to stay behind either but you did.” He pressed the wallet on her palm. “Besides, you had this goofy smile when you were staring at it. I’d feel bad if I didn’t.”

“I don’t even have a gift yet.” Toru looked away in embarrassment. In fact, she did have the gifts, she had just completely forgotten to take it with her when they were preparing for their trip.

“Just take care of it.” Kyo pulled the scarf further up his face and dug his hands into the coat pocket. “Let’s get back home.” Kyo started to walk a little faster.

Toru found herself trailing behind him. The coat Kyo was wearing started to become a little more recognizable as they reached a part of the streets dotted with more street lights. A blue buttoned down coat that fell too neatly towards the ground, uncharacteristic of Kyo. Toru was aware as well that only one person among them packed an extra winter coat for a two night trip. 

“Are you wearing Yuki’s extra coat?” 

Kyo didn't look back. “It was the only one I could find at short notice.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is very much appreciated!


End file.
